Page 51 of Underworld

Zane’s smile turns dark as he says, “We have your father.”

My eyes widen at his words. They have my father? My pulse quickens in excitement. I smack Howe’s ass and yell, “Well, let’s go!” I am finally going to be able to get my revenge against the man who has haunted me.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Jane

I’m sitting on the counter of my bathroom in only my bra and underwear as Howe stands in front of me with a paintbrush in hand. Since Jax is downstairs with Chad, that means he can’t do my makeup, so Howe volunteered to do it for me. I’m pretty sure he just wants to spend more time with me.

I’m trying not to smirk as I watch his face. The tip of his tongue is peeking out in concentration as he makes small strokes with the UV paint. I swing my legs a bit to try and keep my face as still as possible. He hasn’t put his sclera contacts in yet, so I can see his beautiful hazel eyes. I never realized how light they were. The light-brown color has specks of green.

He must feel my stare because he looks into my eyes, then back up to where he’s painting the floral designs on my face. “What?” he asks.

I’m careful not to move my face too much as I say, “Nothing.”

He arches a brow. “You’ve been staring at me the whole time we’ve been here.”

I snort. “Where else am I supposed to look? Plus, you’ve got a pretty face, might as well enjoy the view.”

It’s his turn to snort as he says, “Pretty face, huh?”

“Oh, don’t act like you don’t know you’re handsome.”

He smiles as he moves to the other side of my face to paint the skull design. “I didn’t say I wasn’t. It’s what most people notice.”

I am stunned silent for a moment. Do people only notice that Howe is handsome and focus on his body more than anything else? “You know I love you for more than your body, right?”

He pauses the brush on my face as his eyes widen in surprise. His hazel eyes meet mine again as I continue, “I know you’re handsome, Howe, but I think you’re extremely smart too. I mean, you have several degrees that you didn’t even pay for because you hacked the University systems.” I reach up with a hand to press it against his cheek, and his eyes close at the contact. “You are fucking brilliant, Howe. The smartest person I know.”

His eyes open, and they swirl with emotion. “Thank you, Starlight.”

“Of course,” I reply, dropping my hand back down to the counter. I smile as I ask impatiently, “Am I done?”

He arches a brow in confusion until I point to my face. Chuckling, he paints a few more lines before taking a step back. He tilts his head to the side before nodding. “I think it will do. I’m not as good at it as Jax, but it should be fine.”

I hop off the counter and turn to see the design. My jaw drops. Holy shit. Howe was seriously downgrading his skill. The paint looks amazing. With my pink UV contacts in and the designs on my face . . . I look amazing. “It’s beautiful, Howe.”

His cheeks brighten a bit as he shrugs nonchalantly. “Like I said, not as good as Jax.”

I turn and shake his shoulder playfully. “It’s beautiful. Now go get ready. I’ll meet you outside.”

He looks around the room before saying, “It’s okay. I can wait until you’re done.”

I understand his hesitation, so I make my way over to him and press my lips gently against his. I pull away just enough to whisper my next words, “I’ll be okay. I’ll leave the doors open. I’m sure one of the guys is done getting ready. If it would make you feel better, have one of them come in here with me while I finish getting ready.”

He presses his lips softly against mine again before backing away with a huff. He nods and says, “I’ll get one of the guys to come in here. Leave the doors open, alright?”

I nod as I make my way over to the closet. “It will only take a few minutes for me to get ready. Go get one of the guys. I’ll stay alert, I promise.”

He gives me one last look before jogging out of the room. I’m just coming out when there’s a knock on my bathroom door. I look up to find Alec standing there with a smile.

I grin. “Wow, that was fast.”

Alec laughs as he leans against the door jam. “I’ve never seen Howe run so fast. I thought something was wrong until he said he needed to get dressed and didn’t want you to be alone. I was already heading this way, so it didn’t take me too long.”

Nodding, I slip into the black dress with a slit up to the hip. It has sheer fabric with flowers scattered across it. I must admit; I love the bodice because it has sheer fabric across the abdomen with the boning of the corset black. I turn and look over my shoulder once I’m at the counter. “Can you cinch me up?”

Alec nods and makes his way over to me. His fingers brush lightly against my skin as he laces up the back of my dress. I try to ignore his soft touches as I reach for the newest crown Jace bought to add to my collection. I knew it had to be him because it has a very Hades and Persephone feel. It has golden metal flowers along with dark red rubies. On the front are two vipers holding a deep-red ruby as if protecting it.

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